Senior Valves & Actuators Engineer

Stoke Space; Delaware; On-site; USD 151,000 - 328,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Equity – stock options for regular, 40

Comprehensive benefits (medical, dent,

Company-paid life and disability

401(k) with employer match

4 weeks Paid Time Off

10 holidays

Parental leave

On-site gym / wellness stipend

Dog-friendly offices

Job summary

Stoke Space is seeking a Sr. Valves and Actuators Engineer to design, manufacture, test, and qualify valve designs for their Nova launch vehicle. You will own the complete design-to-test process, work within a small, fast-paced team, and help advance rapid iteration and self-sustainability.

You will collaborate with multiple teams, perform structural and fluids analyses, and ensure manufacturing readiness while pushing for reliable, manufacturable solutions across stages and engines.

Qualifications

• Bachelor’s degree in mechanical or aerospace engineering or similar.
• 5+ years of experience in design, build, and testing of valves for aerospace or industrial applications.
• Hands-on fabrication and assembly of components.
• Strong fundamentals in compressible flow, thermodynamics, structures, control systems, cryogenics, and instrumentation.
• Understanding of revision-controlled P&ID’s and aerospace fasteners, seals, tubing, fittings, and COTS hardware.
• Excellent written and verbal communication.

Responsibilities

• Collect design requirements and create concepts for valves and actuators.
• Model components using Siemens NX CAD software.
• Perform structural analysis using hand calcs and FEA software.
• Perform fluids analysis using hand calcs and CFD software.
• Create manufacturing planning for high-rate production environments.
• Develop procedures and execute testing for valves and actuators, including acceptance, development, and qualification.
• Coordinate with suppliers to procure parts and ensure DFM principles.
• Collaborate with vehicle fluids, engines, and GNC teams to develop CONOPs and troubleshoot hardware.

Skills

Valves design

Fabrication & assembly

Fundamentals: compressible flow

Fundamentals: thermodynamics

Fundamentals: structures

Fundamentals: control systems

Fundamentals: cryogenics

Fundamentals: instrumentation

P&ID revision control

Fasteners, seals, tubing, fittings

Written & verbal communication

Education

Bachelor’s degree in mechanical or aerospace engineering

Tools

Siemens NX CAD

FEA software

CFD software

Siemens NX & Teamcenter

AMESim/REFPROP/Excel/Matlab

Job description

At Stoke, we believe a thriving space economy will enable a vibrant, sustainable, and equitable future here on Earth. That is why we’re building Nova, our fully and rapidly reusable launch vehicle. Designed for daily flight, Nova tackles the core challenges of space transportation by reducing cost, increasing availability, and improving reliability. By radically lowering launch costs and increasing flight cadence, we’re helping create a truly scalable space industry.

Our team is mission-driven, collaborative, and empowered to take ownership of their work. If you want to work alongside some of the most dedicated and talented people on Earth, we’d love to have you join us.

Stoke’s Valves and Actuators team is responsible for designing, developing, testing and producing various in-house and purchased valves and actuators for use on our launch vehicle, Nova. As a team, we strive to make designs that are both reliable and easily manufacturable, a goal supported by Stoke’s commitment to developing in-house valve and actuator manufacturing for rapid iteration and self-sustainability. Our components are used in a variety of applications, including but not limited to engine flow control valves, large propellant valves, high-pressure gas valves, throttle valve actuators, and engine gimbal TVC actuators.
As a Sr. Valves and Actuators Engineer, you will be responsible for defining, designing, manufacturing, testing, and qualifying various valve designs for both the stages and engines. As a responsible engineer, you will be owner of the entire process for your designs. As part of a small, well-supported team, you will have access to the resources you need to get the job done right while simultaneously boosting your skills at a pace that can’t be matched in most other roles. You must be ready to stay focused, move fast, self-direct, and learn on the fly.

Responsibilities

• Collect design requirements from multidisciplinary teams, and use these to create concepts for valves and actuators
• Design components for use on our Nova launch vehicle, model parts using Siemens NX CAD software
• Perform structural analysis on components using hand calcs and FEA software
• Perform fluids analysis using hand calcs and CFD software
• Create manufacturing planning for building components in a high-rate production environment. Be involved in valve and actuator builds on the production floor
• Create procedures and execute testing for valves and actuators, including acceptance testing, development testing, and qualification
• Coordinate directly with suppliers to procure parts
• Incorporate design for manufacturing best practices into designs to improve production efficiency
• Work with vehicle fluids, engines, and GNC teams to develop CONOPs and troubleshoot hardware issues on the vehicle

Minimum Qualifications

• Bachelor’s degree in mechanical or aerospace engineering, or similar
• 5+ years of experience in design, build, and testing of valves for aerospace or industrial applications
• Hands on experience performing fabrication and assembly of components
• Exceptional command of fundamentals, including compressible flow, thermodynamics, structures, control systems, cryogenics, and instrumentation
• Understanding of revision-controlled P&ID’s
• Understanding of aerospace standard fasteners, seals, tubing, fittings, and commercial off the shelf hardware
• Excellent written and verbal communication

Preferred Qualifications

• Proficiency with instrumentation including pressure transducers, thermocouples, load cells, accelerometers, and flow meters
• Proficiency with fluid analysis tools (Siemens AMESim, REFPROP, Excel, Matlab, or equivalent)
• Proficiency in GD&T, tolerance stackups, and material selection
• Extensive experience with CAD tools and configuration management (Siemens NX and Teamcenter preferred)

Benefits

• Equity – We know that our employees are the reason we succeed. To give everyone a stake in our future, we are pleased to offer equity in the form of stock options to all regular, full-time employees.
• Comprehensive benefits program including subsidized medical, dental, and vision insurance
• Company-paid life and disability insurance
• 401(k) plan with employer match
• 4 weeks’ Paid Time Off
• Holidays – 10 days (including an end-of-year closure)
• Paid Family/Parental Leave
• On-site gym or monthly wellness stipend (depending on location)
• Dog friendly offices!

Compensation
Target Levels:

• Level 4 Range: $151,305 - $252,105
• Level 5 Range: $176,505 - $327,810

Our job posts are intentionally written to attract a wide variety of experience levels, and we make decisions about the right fit on a per-candidate basis.
Your actual level and base salary will be decided based on your specific experience and skill level.

ITAR Requirements

To conform to U.S. Government space technology export regulations, including the International Traffic in Arms Regulations (ITAR), you must be a U.S. citizen, lawful permanent resident of the U.S., protected individual as defined by 8 U.S.C. 1324b(a)(3), or eligible to obtain the required authorizations from the U.S. Department of State.

Equal Opportunity

The Company is an Equal Opportunity Employer, including with respect to disability and veteran status. It is committed to compliance with all equal opportunity laws, including the Immigration and Nationality Act (INA) and Title VII. It does not discriminate on the basis of nationality, race, citizenship, immigration status, or any other protected class when it comes to employment practices, including hiring.

Employment at the Company is contingent upon satisfactory completion of reference and background checks, and on your ability to prove your identity and authorization to work in the U.S. for the Company. Employees must comply with the United States Citizenship and Immigration Services employment verification requirements, and, therefore, they must complete an Employment Eligibility Verification Form I-9 at the start of employment and re-verify authorization to work periodically.

Separate from this I-9 process, this position entails access to certain technology and technical data that is restricted under U.S. export control laws and regulations. Employment or continued employment may be conditioned on your legal authorization to work with or have access to export control materials as necessary to perform your job.

Candidate Rights & Accommodations

If you require a reasonable accommodation to complete the application or participate in the interview process, please contact [e-mail]. Requests will be handled in accordance with applicable laws. Please do not include medical or other confidential information in your initial request.

For more information about your rights, please refer to the "Know Your Rights" notice here.

E-Verify

Stoke Space uses E-Verify to confirm the identity and employment eligibility of all new hires.